Writing – A Love Story

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’m not sure if I love to write, or if I love to have written. There are aspects to both that I love. I really love to brainstorm a story. (It’s like a new romance.) I’m very attracted to my idea and can’t wait to learn more about it. (Sort of like the first attraction to someone new.) Then I start to write and it’s so fun to see it start to come together. (Just like beginning to date and you can’t wait to spend time with the new person.) Then I’m in the middle of it and don’t think it will ever come together. (You’ve been dating for a while and wonder if this will last or if you should move on.) Then I get to the end, and I’m always surprised that it’s an actual story instead of the mess that has been living in my head for the last few months. (If you’re lucky the relationship is a good one and will last.)

It has been a long time since I’ve experienced a new love, but I do love a good romance and writing a book is sort of the same, don’t you think?

It takes me several months to write a book. I just finished my 6^th book, the 4^th in my Hood River Valley Series. This book was difficult. I had two stories and had to find a way to bring them together by the end of the book. I hope I did it justice. The title is Her Silent Tears and I’m hoping it will be out mid-October.

This book is about a woman detective who is trying to work under an acting sheriff who makes her life miserable. When a van full of young women who are being trafficked are in a wreck, and the man who abducted them is killed, his driver and one of the girls goes missing. Detective Liz Ellisen must find the driver and the young woman before she is sold into another country. And she has to figure out who in the small town of Hood River is buying and trafficking women. Several prominent people in the town could be part of the trafficking ring. While Liz tries to find out who is involved, a judge’s wife is murdered, an Oregon Senator is shot, her partner is shot, and someone is coming after her.

I spent the last two days by myself at the beach going through every chapter and writing down the POV character and a couple of sentences noting the most important things going on. It was a lot of work, but I’m proud of myself for doing it. It showed me that the story does work, it needs lots of editing, but there is something there to work with.

Tomorrow, while I wait for the laundry to get clean so I can head home, I hope to begin the arduous job of editing this book. I’m really looking forward to it. Editing is my favorite part of writing. (Is that like trying to work out the kinks in a relationship?) When I feel it is as good as I can get it, my first readers will get a copy.

While I wait for them to read the book, I should be writing the next one. Instead, I wring my hands and worry that they won’t like it. When they finish, I make the changes I need to, then go through it a zillion more times before it finally goes to my editors.

It’s a long, tough process. Some days I feel like my brain will explode. Other days I feel like there is nothing up there but sand. But as soon as it’s published, I’m doing it again. I can’t imagine not writing. Even if I never published anything, I’d still write. It’s such an integral part of me.

But I do finally leave the book and move on. Now I’m excited about a Christmas Mystery I’ve already started. It came to me almost fully realized. I just have to figure out how to write it down. I think it will be a fun book to write. I hope it will work out well and we will not have a bad break up. (ie. A book that I never finish.)

And after that is the next Hood River Valley Mystery/Thriller. I thought I knew what the premise was of the next book. But as it turns out, the muse had it’s own idea, and now I’m thinking about something totally different. Or will I try both story lines and have to find a way to tie them together like I did in Book 4? We’ll see what happens. The thing I do know is that my love story of writing will go on as long as I do. Maybe longer.